The Shadow of Death
by wimseyfive87
Summary: I've always been Team Modges and I always will. Takes place after the events in the parking garage in the CSI finale. Just a sweet scene of discovery between the two lovers.


_A happy ending for a couple of my favorite CSI characters. I've always been Team Modges and that hug that Greg and Morgan shared in the finale didn't get me to trade teams either. I haven't had the time to write much lately, so I hope this will start me writing again. I really like doing it! Enjoy...and as always, I don't own CSI – only CBS. I just borrow the characters from time to time._

Adrenaline surged through Morgan's body, causing her to shake like a leaf in the wind. They had done it! Along with Catherine and Greg, they had disarmed three car bombs that had been set to blow up a parking garage. It had been a terrifying experience for her. What did she know about disarming bombs? She was a CSI – not James Bond. If it hadn't been for Catherine's soothing commanding voice in her ear, Morgan doubted she would have defused anything.

Catherine and Greg couldn't stop talking and congratulating each other. Already uniformed officers were beginning to descend onto the parking garage to wrap up the crime scene. Morgan tried to join in, but she was too freaked out to follow what they were saying. All she could remember was that when she was about to cut that wire to the bomb, her life had literally flashed before her eyes. Never had she felt so close to Death that she could smell it's dark cloak, feel it's sharp claws on her back. She had been held hostage before and kidnapped by a madman, but never had she felt so sure of dying. It wasn't something she could shake off with a joke and a hug. The only remedy she craved wasn't in the parking garage.

"Is it alright if I go back to the lab?" Morgan asked Catherine, shakily. "I just – I just need to get out of here. You don't need me do you?"

Catherine gave her a critical once-over and then smiled. "I'm sure we can handle this. Reports will have to be filed later, but I'm sure you won't forget what happened here."

"Not anytime soon," Morgan cried, already backing out of the garage. She waved nervously as she pulled out her phone. "Thanks, Catherine. I'll talk to you guys later."

Catherine watched Morgan jog out of sight and threw Greg a bemused glance.

"No offense, Greg, it's none of my business, but I thought you two were-"

Greg shrugged. "We tried, but it didn't really work out. Her heart really wasn't in it. I think I know where she's off to and I couldn't be happier for her."

"Don't tell me-" Catherine began, horror creeping into her voice.

"Hey, I don't get it either, but she makes him a better person. Seriously. She should have moved back to Vegas years ago."

"I hope you're right," Catherine said. "Come on, let's get this over with. I want to know how Grissum and Sara are doing with Dalton Betton."

Morgan had no idea how she got back to the crime lab. She must have raced through every red light and passed every slow car in the road. She should have had a trail of cop cars screaming after her in the night. She didn't care. She only had one instinct – to get to him before she had a complete nervous breakdown.

Luckily for her he was waiting outside the building. Morgan swerved into a parking space and had barely slid out of the car before he was holding her.

"Are you alright?" Hodges shouted. "When I heard you had been sent to that parking garage-"

"I can't believe it!" she cried, tears mingling with her words. Hodges could barely hear her as she pressed herself against him. "I thought I wasn't going to make it out of there. I thought that was it and I'd never see you again."  
Hodges began to soothe her as she trembled against him. "It's alright. You're here with me now. It's all over."

"No, you don't understand," Morgan sobbed. She pulled away until she could see his face. She doubted she would make any sense, but she had to try. "It took me almost dying to realize what I was missing in my life. It's you! I realized that if I died today, you'd never know. And after it was over and we survived, I had to come see you. I had to hold you and talk to you and tell you or I'd go completely crazy. I'm sure it's too late anyway and I'm sure I made a mess of things because of the whole Greg-thing, but -"

"Morgan-"

"I love you, Hodges. I've loved you for years and I've never had the strength to tell you. I'm sorry for being such a coward. It probably doesn't matter now, but-"

"Morgan, be quiet! You don't have to say anything. I've always known, but I've been just as scared and stupid as you to do anything about it. You have no idea how much I wanted to be with you in that parking garage. To be with you in the end."

"You mean," Morgan asked quietly, holding onto her hope with two hands. "It's not too late."

"I've always loved you too, Morgan. Even after I met Elizabeta, you were always my ideal. I thought I'd never be able to deserve you, so I hoped Elizabeta could be more like you. I was wrong. And when I was finally free, I didn't know how to tell you. We've always been best friends and I didn't want to lose that. I couldn't. When you and Greg started to be this big couple, I thought he'd at least be able to make you happy. But I never stopped loving you, Morgan. Never."

"Oh, my God," she cried, throwing her arms around him. Her tears mingled with laughter as he held her tightly in return. She suddenly felt calm and as light as a feather. She had danced with the shadow of Death and it had only revealed her true heart to herself. Now, she could enjoy and appreciate the fact that she was alive. She loved and was loved and that was the only thing that mattered anymore. She could now survive anything. Give her another bomb scare -she'd tackle it in no time – though maybe not right away.

As Morgan and Hodges tentatively shared their first kiss, the police radio from Morgan's car crackled to life. Grissum and Sara had talked down the mad bomber and were coming back to Vegas. The dispatcher then added that Brass was off the critical list at the hospital, after being set on fire. The shadow of Death had been shoved back into the darkness. Everyone would have their happy ending that day in Vegas.


End file.
